Reunion Ale '12 | Shmaltz Brewing Company

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Poured into an impy nonic a deep dark chesnut brown with a amber tinge,a thinner but well retained light beige head atop.I was really taken back at the lack of aromas to this beer,I picked up some earthiness and mild bitter chocolate,that was the most dissapointing part of this beer.Vanilla really stands out in the palate with bitter chocolate underneath,some cinnamon and earth finish it out.Last year's beer was great,this is a little uninspiring,it's not horrible but it lacks depth in the aromas and the flavors to me.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown with some hints of amber and ruby red. Lots of bubbles and a big four finger beige head that holds up for a while then fades into a small creamy layer. Good amount of lacing.

Smell: Aroma is very roasty and sweet. Dark roasted malts with big hints of chocolate from the cocoa nibs. Also some hints of roasted coffee, nuts, milk, cream, and dark bread. Nice hints of vanilla and the cinnamon spicing is very noticeable. Also a light hint of smoke in the aroma. Light earthy hops in the background.

Taste: Like the aroma indicates, a very dark and roasty taste with a big kick of cinnamon. Dark roasted malts with a big taste of cocoa nibs, coffee beans, vanilla beans, milk chocolate, nuts, cream, dark bread, and burnt sugar. Also some burnt caramel and toffee. The roasty taste is actually fairly bitter and not as sweet as you might expect. The cinnamon spice is big and blends with the chocolate pretty well. Light notes of earthy hops towards the finish. A good and interesting taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very creamy and roasty feel. Has a fairly drying finish. Alcohol is hidden very well.

Overall: A very good dark beer. Great roast flavors and the cinnamon adds an interesting kick. Could of had a little more body, but this was very good anyways.

A - Pours very dark brown with 1+ finger of frothy tan head. The head fades slowly and leaves behind some splotchy lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted dark malts, chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla with some hints of coffee and molasses.

T - A cascade of flavors which changes from start to finish but which are nicely mixed. The cinnamon and vanilla are prominent throughout, with dark chocolate appearing quickly. Chocolate with hints of molasses and coffee are evident in the finish and carry into the lingering aftertaste. Ultimately, I am left with a slight bitterness in my mouth from this otherwise sweet ale. Rating may be closer to 3.75 than 4.25.

M - Medium/full bodied with moderate carbonation.

O - A fine sipping ale. Sweet enough to work best after a meal. While I liked the substantial vanilla and cinnamon, these are on the border of overdone for my taste and they do mask much of the underlying malts -- this may be a turn-off for some beer geeks.

Poured a dark brown with a half-finger off-white head. Looks nice. Scents of chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla. Very appealing scent. Flavors of rich malt sweetness, cinnamon, some cocoa and slight vanilla on the finish. A nice combination of dessert flavors. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Easy to drink, and not too heavy. This is a pretty good beer, nice flavor, good nose, glad I got a bottle.

A pretty medium-dark brown, this beer has a dark purple-red hue to it. It grows a tan head at about a finger in height. It holds together very well, and offers some stick as plenty of patching clings to the glass.
There's plenty going on in the nose. It's clearly a brown ale base, into which is integrated some dark fruits, dark bready notes, coffee, and some light and creamy vanilla-like sweetness. With such a nice aroma, I wish I could pick up more.
While plenty is going on in the taste, it's primarily like drinking a smooth black iced coffee; there's more of a clean coffee grounds note, but that's the main impression. Malts are strong, and a little sweetness complements, while it remains lightly earthy throughout.
Nicely robust for a brown, the malts base lays it down on the tongue. Carbonation is moderate, providing a light nip of crispness keeping it lively while it flows smoothly with a firm creaminess.

Overall this was a pleasant beer, one that I would never turn down, but probably not one that I am going to go out of my way to find either. Poured from 22oz bottle.

The appearance was a nice dark brown, with off white head. The immediate aroma of chocolate and malt, with hints of spice. Appearance and smell were both very good.

Taste was good, with immediate cocoa and chocolate, which lingered to the detriment of other flavors. I enjoyed the immediate chocolate, and at the very end the vanilla would push through, but the cinnamon got lost amongst the overpowering chocolate. It was enjoyable, and maybe with age the cocoa would mellow a little allowing for more of the other favors to push through. The beer is a bit thin, but overall a pleasurable experience.

22oz bomber. I had the '11 when I was in Detroit this time last year, so nice to see it make it a bit further northward now.

This beer pours a clear, very dark reddish amber hue, with a teeming amount of slick rocky beige head, which leaves some broad mushroom cloud instances of lace around the glass as it slowly yet surely abates.

It smells of medium-dark, powdery cocoa, sweet, somewhat biscuity caramel/toffee malt, sugary vanilla wafer, and some earthy cinnamon spiciness. The taste is much tamer that the aroma let on - a sharp, thin cinnamon note right up front, soft pale grainy, kind of black bready malt, a lessened, but still sturdy blend of corner-store chocolate and lightly boozy natural vanilla, with a subtle earthiness that one might actually be forgiven for mistaking as hops.

The bubbles are a tad frothy, which plays well enough with the guest ingredients, I suppose, the body medium-light in weight, and generally smooth, the flintiness of the spice marring things a bit. It finishes off-dry, the lingering chocolate-vanilla sweetness still co-opting the biscuit malt backbone, and the cinnamon thankfully tailing off on its own. No real sign of the 8% ABV as of yet, so kudos on that.

A decent grown-up brown ale, nicely augmented with the coffeehouse favourites, and the spice maybe a wee bit mishandled, but overall, I enjoyed this, especially considering the deft booze integration - barely an iota of heat to be found. An appropriately well-made memorial.

My mouth is watering just looking at the extremely dark brown, almost black, liquid in the snifter. Umm, opaque to say the least. Up top is a finger of beige creaminess, in a combination of large and small bubbles. Moderate retention.

It smells like a Heath Bar. Toffee, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla. For a dark beer lover, it really doesn't get better.

It's obviously a malt-forward beer, but the chocolate really dominates in a couple aspects. First, there is a faint cocoa taste, but also it provides some bitterness as the beer works its way to the back of the mouth to keep things in balance. Vanilla and cinnamon tag team the taste buds throughout.

Screams 'CREAMY' the second it touches the lips. Faint sweetness before giving way to an ocean of spicy, hoppy bitterness and a prickly, carbonated finish. Also, a bit of heat in the finish thanks to 8% ABV.

This is a helluva collaboration. It's an easy drink for dark beer fans, but some may be turned off because it is bitter. Regardless, I'm happy I bought this bomber.

The 2012 Reunion Ale release pours a dark mahogany brown color. It’s dark, but isn’t opaque. Backlighting reveals some burgundy and garnet highlights throughout. A soft, tan head tops it off and stands about two fingers tall. Retention was pretty. It held firm at the surface for a while. Lacing was on the lighter side. Looks good!

The nose is good. It would benefit from just a little more strength, but it is good. It kicks off with a really nice chocolaty, cocoa scent. It does smell a little sweet. Very light roasted notes are present. Coffee is in the mix and complements the malts really well. Vanilla comes through nice and strong and adds nice depth. I am getting a little cinnamon, but it’s subtle and very much a secondary feature. Alcohol is blended well and isn’t all that noticeable.

The flavor is impressive. The chocolate flavor is nothing short of delicious. It is a little sweet and has an excellent cocoa flavor. There’s a touch of coffee. It’s somewhat subtle, but has a big effect. I like it. Vanilla is a bit sweet, but works with the cocoa and chocolate flavors really well. This is tasty stuff. Cinnamon is a little more pronounced in flavor. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t add a whole lot. Just kind of there. Alcohol is noted, but isn’t overly strong. Finishes with a nice mix of chocolate and vanilla. Good stuff.

Reunion Ale has a body that’s on the lighter side of medium. Feels a little too thin. More body would be better. It’s not bad though. It’s tasty and definitely goes down easy.

I really like this collaboration between Schmaltz Brewing Company and Terrapin Beer Co. I’m a little surprised by how good it is. Its only real problem is that it’s a bit thin for a beer of its size. It’s good stuff. Grab a bottle if you see it.

A finger of head on a black body.
The aroma is roasted malt and milk, pretty nice.
The taste is great. Chocolate, spice, roasted malt; lots of borderline sweetness but maintains a good balance.
The texture is smooth with moderate carbonation.
Pretty good.

A - dark swampy red-brown, some light getting through along the edges, two solid fingers of creamy tan head, very nice retention
S - big smack of cinnamon right away, followed by some boozy sweetness, rich caramel and candied fruit, light but building aroma of cocoa
T - big cocoa and coffee flavours start it off, brown sugar and cinnamon much lighter than the nose, mild cherry and booze for a bit of a brandy background, a little disjointed but still tasty
M - on the bigger side of medium, fairly creamy, little bit of dusty cocoa feel meets with alcohol to produce a sweet and drying finish
O - big on flavours all around, and while I don't think it quite comes together in harmony as it should, it is still very tasty and enjoyable treat worth a purchase